Tuesday Feb 26th

At feeding station today, willow tit 2, lesser redpoll 6, siskin 3, GSW 1, many goldfinch, blackbird, reed bunting, great and blue it, robin.

Sunday 24th Feb

Lesser redpoll (7 one very pale one) and siskin (6) at feeding station in the afternoon (P.Goode)

Over 50 species recorded today

Flashes: Sparrowhawk (1 female), Buzzard (1), Common Snipe (15), Skylark (2), Bullfinch (1 male 2 female), Meadow Pipit (1), Canada Goose (30), Mute Swan (3), Willow Tit (1)

Feeding Station: Lesser Redpoll (3), Siskin (1), Willow Tit (2), Goldfinch (12), Reed Bunting (4 male 3 female), Treecreeper (1 singing), GS Woodpecker, Pheasant

Scrape: Bullfinch (calling), Goldcrest, Shoveler (6), Teal, LT Tits (8)

Main Pool: Gadwall (13 male 9 female), Little Grebe (4), Coot (6), Moorhen (1), Tufted Duck (3), Bullfinch (1 female)

River Pool: Little Grebe (1), Grey Heron (1), Wigeon (6), Teal (10), Shoveler

Saturday 23rd Feb

Car Park Feeder: Greenfinch (4), Blue tit, Great tit, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting (4)

Meadow Pipit (10+ in the field), Goldfinch (8+ on the first nyger feeder)

Feeding Station: Siskin (1), Goldfinch (5), Reed Bunting (6), Chaffinch (10+), GS Woodpecker (4), Green Woodpecker, Treecreeper (1), Jay, Sparrowhawk (1), Buzzard (1 overhead), Wren, Pheasant (7 female), Willow Tit

Woods: Treecreeper (2), LT Tits (6), Willow Tit (1), Redwing (6)

Scrape: Shoveler (8), teal (4), Mute Swan (2)

Flashes: Curlew (8), Wood Pigeon (40+), Stock Dove (3), Bullfinch (2 male 2 female), Goldcrest (2) (Jeff)

Two male Goosander over the car park at 11-00 (S.Seal)

Wednesday Feb 20

Tree creeper and Jay at gate. At feeding station pair of siskins, 7 redpoll, only 1 willow tit. Goldfinch at both nyger feeders and about 20 in trees just off path. We went off site for a while and on returning at about 1300 fox ran over field away from gate and single curlew feeding in centre of field.

Feeding visit Monday Feb 18th

Feeders almost empty now all full. At feeding hide counted 13 hen pheasants and 1 cock. 6 robins, 2 M 1 F GSW, Willow Tit 1, Goldfinch 5. On leaving about 4pm 4 snipe flew up from corner of field between path and car park.

Thursday 14th Feb

No sign of any stonechats today or the Little Egret :(

Two Ravens flew over and a couple of Bullfinch along the path to the flashes again.

Feeding Station: Lesser redpoll (3), Siskin (2), Willow Tit (2), Goldfinch (15+), Reed Bunting (12+), GS Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk (1), Chaffinch, Blue tit, Great tit, Pheasant (2f), Song Thrush.

Woods: Redwing (20+), Goldfinch (20+), Treecreeper (1), LT Tits

The Scrape: Shoveler (6), Teal (1), Goldcrest (1), Coot (5)

Main Pool: Little Grebe (2), Tufted Duck (2), Coot (6)

Popped in for a chat

Stonchat (2 on the flashes), Bullfinch (2 female, 1male), Meadow Pipit (5), Song Thrush (2 singing), GS Woodpecker (still drumming), Long-tailed tit (12+) , Canada Goose (c.100 on the flashes), Greylag Goose (1) , Oystercatcher (1 on the flashes) (Jeff)

Little Egret was over the road by the railway line this afternoon.
On feeders 5 Redpoll, 2 Siskin , 2 Willow Tit, 3 Gt S Woodys.
Also female Lesser Spot reported by the path towards the hide just as you come off the bank. (S.Seal)

Saturday 9th February

Went to whitacre this afternoon. managed a few photo's of the usual suspects there were at least 3 Greater spotted Woodpeckers around and possibly a lesser drumming on the opposite side of the reserve to me but I couldn't really hear it for the noise from over the river.

The full list for today is as follows.

"Dead end" (River Pool)Hide. - Widgeon, Teal, Mallard, Heron, Gadwall, GS Woodpecker, Shoveler, Coot, Magpie, Tree creeper, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Siskin and Bullfinch.




Main Pool Hide - Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Teal, Coot and a Jay flew over the pool from Left to Right.

The Scrape ( Kingfisher hide) - Shoveler, Teal, Mallard, Coot, Teal, Wren, Song thrush.



And on my travels along the paths there were Blue, Great, and Longtail tits, and the Reedbuntings in the car park. I never went into the Feeder hide or the Field Hide.

I make that 24 species in two and a half hours and to topit off the snowdrops seemed none the worse for there recent dunking.

Friday

2 female and 2 male GSW, treecreeper, 3 redpoll, 2 siskins all at feeding station

Stonechats

Stonechat (3 from C.Bevin hide), Bullfinch (1 male), Siskin (1 feeding station, 1 along path to River hide), Lesser redpoll (4 at the feeding station), Green Woodpecker, GS Woodpecker (2 male, 2 female at feeding station, at least three birds towards river pool, lots of drumming going on today), Common Gull (3)

Great White Egret

posted on Ladywalk website (http://westmidlandbirdclub.com/ladywalk/latest.htm)

7th: Great White Egret and Little Egret flew from Whitacre Reserve across Main Pool towards the waterworks.

Wednesday feb 6th

2 male stonechat on flashes, initially close or in hedge but flew towards river. 5 redpoll only 1 siskin. Pair of treecreepers in woods.
Paths and steps to river and lake hide improved by Brandon workforce this today. They visit again on March 13th and March 19th to work on Field hide and feeding station hide

Monday Feb 4th

Stonechat down field hide. At feeding station hide siskin (2), redpoll (4), goldfinch, GSW 3 male, Sparrowhawk fly past, treecreeper, willow tit

A quick walk round Whitacre Heath

Walking along the embankment heading towards the flashes (Chris Bevin hide) in the hope of the stonechat, and there it was 50 yrds from the car park, a little flighty to get too close, then it headed off into the middle of the field, i caught up with it a little later for a photo.

Flashes: very little to note here, Canada Goose (c.50), Bullfinch (2), Meadow Pipit (5), Stock Dove (2) and a Lesser-black backed gull.

Feeding station: Redpoll (5), Siskin (4), Reed Bunting (c.8), Willow Tit (2), Chaffinch (30+), Treecreeper (singing close by). GS Woodpeckers to name a few.

Main Pool: Little Grebe (2), Tufted Duck (2), Grey Heron (1) , Willow Tit (calling)

In the wood: Long-tailed tit (12+), Treecreeper (2), GS Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Redwing (10+), Buzzard (overhead)

River Pool: Gadwall, Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen along the path Siskin (singing), Goldfinch (8), GS Woodpecker

Railway bridge: Oystercatcher (1), Wigeon (150+), Canada Goose (20), Redwing (200+)

Stonechat

Stonechat (1), Lesser redpoll (6) , Willow Tit and Siskin (S.Seal)

Little Egret

Little Egret still from railway bridge. (Birdguides)